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Community raising money for tombstone for girl who died from drinking soda, water

Now 5-year-old Alexa Linboom's grave-site is unmarked, except for a few flowers and other mementos left behind. Her two step sisters got together with her former teacher to try to raise money for the tombstone they say she deserves.

Community raising money for tombstone for girl who died from drinking soda, water

A Hawkins County community is coming together to try to give a fallen girl an appropriate grave site.

Randall Vaughn and his wife Mary are facing first-degree murder charges and aggravated child abuse. The couple are accused of forcing Randall's daughter Alexa to drink more than two liters of soda and water as punishment, which killed her.

"Our hearts broke. When you teach these kids and you have them 10 months out of the year they're your family and she went home for Christmas and didn't come back," said Karen Hostetter, Alexa's teacher.

Now 5-year-old Alexa Linboom's grave site is unmarked, except for a few flowers and other mementos left behind. Her two step sisters got together with her former teacher to try to raise money for the tombstone they say she deserves.

Her teacher recalls Alexa as being the curious girl in class.

"She wanted to learn everything that we were doing from hand writing her name to the parts of sentences. She was there and you could tell that you had her attention," said Hostetter.

The family set up the Alexa Linboom Memorial Fund at Civis Bank in Rogersville.